Raku

Raku Bottle With Crackle, Copper And Bare Clay

This page is all about Raku firing, techniques, processes, philosophies and materials.

Modern Raku:

My Raku process involves placing once fired and glazed pots in a kiln and glaze firing the pots to around 1835 degrees Fahrenheit. The kiln is then opened while red hot and the glowing pots are removed with giant tongs similar to what you would grill hot dogs on a grill with. The hot pots with melting glazes are then place into a metal chamber (often a metal trash can) or pit in the ground filled with combustible materials. The 1800 degree pots flame the materials up pretty fast at which point a lid or cover is placed on the container extinguishing the flames, filling the air around the hot pieces with smoke. The pieces are left until cool enough to remove and the firing process is complete.

This quick firing and cooling process causes a myriad of effects to occur on the surface of the pottery. The most notable Raku effects are surfaces of shiny and colorful coppers, crackles and black or raw smoked pottery. The crackles occur from the quick cooling where the clay shrinks faster than the glass on the surface and the carbon from the smoke in the chamber surrounding the pots blackens in the glaze cracks. The areas of raw or unglazed clay become blackened or carbonized during this process. The combustible materials can be anything that burns fast like straw, sawdust and dry pine needles.

Glazes containing copper and metals display a range of color from shiny copper pennies to a rainbow of colors. This is caused by the oxygen around the red hot pots being burned up and replaced with smoke. Colors and flame marks occur during the cooling when the lid is placed over the pots and flames move around the pieces. The flames carry differing amounts of oxygen as they lick the sides of the pots in this process causing interesting colors and patterns. The cooling process without oxygen holds onto the flame marks and shines. One of my favorite descriptions for the effects is a hippy saying calling the Raku surface effects “The Gift Of The Flame.”

The process I have outlined here is an American interpretation and treatment of a technique originating in 16^th century Japan. The influences on me and the techniques I use in Raku can be traced to Paul Soldner and his 1960s Scripts College inventions in Claremont, California. The teachers and others contributing to my experience are many. Everyone who I have come in contact with has had an influence on my Raku. Larry Wasserman, Don Jennings, Crispin Gonzales and My old friend Mike Leon must be mentioned here. The most important element for me in Raku is the use of the flames after the initial kiln firing commonly known as “Post Firing Reduction.”

Random Photo of Raku